Does teaching argumentation facilitate critical thinking?

This research examined whether training in argumentation facilitated critical thinking by enhancing the ability to discern strong and weak arguments and whether such training increased the need for cognition, argumentativeness, perceived arguing effectiveness and decreased verbal aggressiveness. Participants included 299 experimental group members who were receiving instruction in argumentation and 58 comparison group members receiving instruction in introductory interpersonal communication. Respondents completed questionnaires in the first and last weeks of the term assessing their argument perception, perceived arguing effectiveness, argumentativeness, need for cognition and verbal aggressiveness. Results revealed that argument instruction enhanced the ability to discern weak example and causal arguments, increased perceived arguing effectiveness and decreased verbal aggressiveness. These results are discussed in terms of critical thinking and outcomes assessment for argumentation instruction.

Notes

Judith A. Sanders, is at the Department of Communication, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA 91768. Richard L. Wiseman, and Robert H. Gass are at the Department of Speech Communication, California State University, Fullerton, CA. An earlier version of this paper was presented to the annual meeting of the Western Forensic Association division of the Western States Communication Association, February, 1992, Boise, Idaho.